Hello again!
Before I start talking about my latest concoction, I want to talk about a problem I’ve been having with the smoothie breakfast lately. Even though my smoothies are full of fiber, fruit, vegetables, and all sorts of healthy goodness, my stomach is still growling a few hours later. After some further research, I read that the act of chewing actually helps you stay full longer and smoothies skip that step. Many people say that this can be solved by putting bananas in the smoothies, but considering I’ve had a taste aversion to bananas since I was a little girl, I set out to look for different companions to my smoothie breakfasts.
The first thing I tried was an Eggo buttermilk waffle. I didn’t put my usual nutella/maple syrup because I was trying to avoid the over consumption of refined sugars, so I just ate it plain. That did absolutely nothing. If anything, I feel like I was hungry even earlier because the waffle was completely processed. I then tried adding peanut butter to the waffle. Foods like peanut butter take a while to digest and are full of healthy fats that help keep you full. This made a better difference. I felt full longer. However, I wanted to move away from refined foods altogether, but I hated whole wheat waffles so I had to stray away from waffles altogether. When wandering around the aisles of Trader Joe for my smoothie ingredients, I stumbled upon this whole wheat cranberry walnut bread. It sounded disgusting, but the aroma of the freshly baked bread drew me in immediately so I decided to give it a go. This was the best so far. It kept me full until an hour before my usual lunch time, which is 1-130. (Note: I normally eat breakfast around 7:15) The only problem with that was that it got boring eating that every day. So I decided to look for one more food item that I could alternate with. So I decided to turn to the one source I could always count on; my mother. My mother, who was elated that I had decided to eat healthier after years of forcing down fruit and organic ‘Fruit Loops’ (colored cardboard, more like it), immediately suggested an egg. I tried to patiently explain that the whole point of my blog was to make a fast efficient breakfast I could take to go, but she insisted that I needed protein and an egg was the best way to do it. She suggested boiling/buying boiled eggs in advance and keeping them in my fridge. They were portable, quick to eat, and were available preboiled at the local supermarket. For those of you who hate eggs, (i.e my sister) a boiled egg is the perfect solution because its so small, you can finish it in two bites and minimize the time spent suffering choking down scrambled or fried eggs. A hard boiled egg, along with my power smoothie, was the perfect combination. I could literally feel myself more awake and energetic each morning.
So on to my next smoothie. Although my strawberry spinach smoothie was delicious, it got boring after a while so I went back to the drawing board. I decided to keep the kefir base because I needed it in order to stay full, so I decided to mix up the fruit-vegetable combination. Instead of spinach, I decided to go with kale, a well renowned superfood. Kale has more than 1000 percent of the daily recommended vitamin K, which can reduce cancer, help with blood clotting, and build strong bones. It also has more than 180% of your Vitamin A, which “aids vision, growth, bone formation, tissue repair and red blood cell production”. I decided to mix up the main flavor by adding mixed berries instead of just strawberries so I would get a variety of different nutrients in my smoothies. Blueberries provided antioxidants, blackberries are full of vitamin C, E and ellagic acid, which can prevent cancer, and strawberries provide phenols, which can reduce inflammation. The first time I made this, it tasted great, but the texture was very gritty from the kale stems. Normally, theres only a little texture from the flaxseed and berry seeds, but the kale stems were very prominent and affected the taste. The second time I tried it, I chopped it in advance before dumping everything in and it tasted a lot better. In addition, I put the kale in first so it could be as pulverized as possible before adding in the other ingredients. In the future, I think I’ll stick to spinach smoothies during the week simply because it’s easier to prepare, or try finding another green. Broccoli, anyone? Just kidding, that would taste terrible. Or would it?
In the meantime, check out the recipe and pictures below.
(http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/the-health-benefits-of-kale).
Smoothie 2
Mixed Berries
Kefir
Honey (optional)
Kale
Flaxseed
1. Chop stems off kale. Blend with other ingredients. Add honey to taste.
Before I start talking about my latest concoction, I want to talk about a problem I’ve been having with the smoothie breakfast lately. Even though my smoothies are full of fiber, fruit, vegetables, and all sorts of healthy goodness, my stomach is still growling a few hours later. After some further research, I read that the act of chewing actually helps you stay full longer and smoothies skip that step. Many people say that this can be solved by putting bananas in the smoothies, but considering I’ve had a taste aversion to bananas since I was a little girl, I set out to look for different companions to my smoothie breakfasts.
The first thing I tried was an Eggo buttermilk waffle. I didn’t put my usual nutella/maple syrup because I was trying to avoid the over consumption of refined sugars, so I just ate it plain. That did absolutely nothing. If anything, I feel like I was hungry even earlier because the waffle was completely processed. I then tried adding peanut butter to the waffle. Foods like peanut butter take a while to digest and are full of healthy fats that help keep you full. This made a better difference. I felt full longer. However, I wanted to move away from refined foods altogether, but I hated whole wheat waffles so I had to stray away from waffles altogether. When wandering around the aisles of Trader Joe for my smoothie ingredients, I stumbled upon this whole wheat cranberry walnut bread. It sounded disgusting, but the aroma of the freshly baked bread drew me in immediately so I decided to give it a go. This was the best so far. It kept me full until an hour before my usual lunch time, which is 1-130. (Note: I normally eat breakfast around 7:15) The only problem with that was that it got boring eating that every day. So I decided to look for one more food item that I could alternate with. So I decided to turn to the one source I could always count on; my mother. My mother, who was elated that I had decided to eat healthier after years of forcing down fruit and organic ‘Fruit Loops’ (colored cardboard, more like it), immediately suggested an egg. I tried to patiently explain that the whole point of my blog was to make a fast efficient breakfast I could take to go, but she insisted that I needed protein and an egg was the best way to do it. She suggested boiling/buying boiled eggs in advance and keeping them in my fridge. They were portable, quick to eat, and were available preboiled at the local supermarket. For those of you who hate eggs, (i.e my sister) a boiled egg is the perfect solution because its so small, you can finish it in two bites and minimize the time spent suffering choking down scrambled or fried eggs. A hard boiled egg, along with my power smoothie, was the perfect combination. I could literally feel myself more awake and energetic each morning.
So on to my next smoothie. Although my strawberry spinach smoothie was delicious, it got boring after a while so I went back to the drawing board. I decided to keep the kefir base because I needed it in order to stay full, so I decided to mix up the fruit-vegetable combination. Instead of spinach, I decided to go with kale, a well renowned superfood. Kale has more than 1000 percent of the daily recommended vitamin K, which can reduce cancer, help with blood clotting, and build strong bones. It also has more than 180% of your Vitamin A, which “aids vision, growth, bone formation, tissue repair and red blood cell production”. I decided to mix up the main flavor by adding mixed berries instead of just strawberries so I would get a variety of different nutrients in my smoothies. Blueberries provided antioxidants, blackberries are full of vitamin C, E and ellagic acid, which can prevent cancer, and strawberries provide phenols, which can reduce inflammation. The first time I made this, it tasted great, but the texture was very gritty from the kale stems. Normally, theres only a little texture from the flaxseed and berry seeds, but the kale stems were very prominent and affected the taste. The second time I tried it, I chopped it in advance before dumping everything in and it tasted a lot better. In addition, I put the kale in first so it could be as pulverized as possible before adding in the other ingredients. In the future, I think I’ll stick to spinach smoothies during the week simply because it’s easier to prepare, or try finding another green. Broccoli, anyone? Just kidding, that would taste terrible. Or would it?
In the meantime, check out the recipe and pictures below.
(http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/the-health-benefits-of-kale).
Smoothie 2
Mixed Berries
Kefir
Honey (optional)
Kale
Flaxseed
1. Chop stems off kale. Blend with other ingredients. Add honey to taste.
7 comments:
Hi Sania,
I'm really interested in your superfood smoothie! Kale is definitely a superfood and your spinach smoothie sounds super healthy as well. I liked that you talked about finding an efficient breakfast that won't make you hungry later. I was excited to hear that at first you tried Eggo waffles. I know exactly what you mean about it being super processed. I ate Eggo waffles with nutella, peanut butter, or butter/syrup for a lot of my childhood for breakfast. But that was super unhealthy because it tasted so artificial, and I don't like organic waffles either. I've never thought of having a boiled egg for breakfast. I might have to try it out. I also found that spinach quiche from Trader Joe's is a quick and easy breakfast item. It has good ingredients but it may be a little high in fat content. Good luck with your breakfast search.
Hey Sania,
I love the fact that you were searching for the best food option that would keep you full longer and that you tried so many options before finding the best one. You are so full of ideas. Since I started eating healthily a while ago, I have found some foods that keep me pretty full for a good amount of time. One is greek yogurt. It has double the amount of protein that normal yogurt has and is strained. Maybe you could use a little greek yogurt as an ingredient in your smoothie? I don't know how that would work out but there is nothing wrong in trying it out. Moreover, you could maybe eat nuts(almonds, pistachios),a granola bar (it keeps me very full), and oatmeal. Those foods might help you stay full. Try it out and let me know. Also, I commented on your other post about my green smoothie adventure with broccoli and it was in fact good. Even though I could feel the texture of broccoli a little, the taste was still amazing and I loved it.
After reading your very informative post I'm interested in making my own smoothie with spinach or kale. It seems like a great way to get more vegetables into my diet in an easy to drink form. I also appreciated your use of kefir in the smoothies as a great base liquid and source of protein. I've used it as well in fruit smoothies and have always found it a great way to make a more delicious, creamy blend. Also, I wouldn't suggest the addition of broccoli into your next smoothie, somethings are better eaten whole.
I wish I had a blender so I could make some of your delicious smoothies. I like how you include the recipe! Also, kale and spinach sound great (mostly the spinach though!)
I found the fact about how chewing helps you stay full longer fascinating. I never knew that, and it took me by surprise. I like how you included both you successes and failures for trying to find the right supporting breakfast item.For someone like me who does not like eggs, it was nice to see you gave an easy solution, although I would probably find something I enjoy the taste of rather than something I can choke down really quickly. I look forward to trying out your newest smoothie.
Hi Sania!
I really wish I had a small blender. Actually, I wish i had the Magic Bullet. Being on the triathlon team, I am always looking for a way to make delicious nutritious smoothies to refuel my body for intense workout sessions. Maybe you could hook me up with some recipes.
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